VP David Lassner to be appointed interim UH president

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents has identified Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer David Lassner as interim president of the university and will vote on the appointment at a special board meeting July 30, 2013. If approved, Lassner will step into the office effective September 1, 2013. The appointment will continue until a permanent president is selected.

Lassner has worked in successively more responsible technical, management and executive capacities for the university since 1977.

As interim president, Lassner will earn an annual salary of $325,008, the same salary paid to Interim President David McClain when he was appointed in 2004. McClain served until 2009.

“The Board of Regents has complete confidence that Vice President Lassner will continue to move forward the agenda affirmed by the board, and to pave the way for the next permanent president of the university,” said Board Chair John Holzman. “It was a unanimous choice on the part of the board to post his appointment for public discussion and vote.”

“I am honored at the confidence and trust placed in me by the Board of Regents,” Lassner commented. “I look forward to working together with my colleagues throughout the UH System and with the community to advance our agenda to serve the people of Hawaiʻi.”

Lassner has served as the universityʻs first vice president for information technology and chief information officer since 2007 and leads the UH Information Technology Services unit. Prior to this role he served as the universityʻs first chief information officer and first director of information technology.

He is currently a board member of EDUCAUSE and the Kuali Foundation, and previously served on the boards of Hawaiʻi Public Television, the Hawaiʻi High Technology Development Corporation and chaired the Hawaiʻi Broadband Task Force. Lassner was reappointed this spring to another term on the State of Hawaiʻi Information Technology Steering Committee by Senate President Donna Mercado Kim. In 2010 he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Hawaiʻi.